The winner will be

BOSTROM

Lafayette if it can control the intangibles

Lehigh vs. Lafayette - 1 p.m. - Today - Fisher Field

There are similarities between J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" saga and the Frank Tavani era of the Lafayette football program.

Tavani's 2000 squad consisted of meek, humble folk who lived in the Middle Earth of the Patriot League standings (2-9, 1-5 Patriot) and were bedeviled by fire-breathing Mountain Hawks.

Tolkien's hobbits became formidable by enlisting the aid of elves, dwarfs, wizards and their magical powers in "The Fellowship of the Ring."

Lafayette's rise can be traced to its own excellent recruiting efforts. Players wanted to become part of the tight bonding and fellowship they saw on the team.

"What impressed me the most was the family atmosphere here," junior defensive back Marcel Quarterman said. "Everyone got along. Everyone was pulling for the next guy. Everyone was working together."

That resulted in the team's first league championship in 2004 and its first set of rings.

Lafayette's towering defense produced another set of rings in 2005.

In "The Return of the King," Tolkien's fellowship faces the greatest obstacles of all and makes the greatest sacrifices before reaching the ultimate goal.

Without question, Lafayette faced trials and tribulations this year during its five-game losing streak. The Leopards appeared vanquished. Undaunted, their warriors scratched, clawed and managed to survive.

In fact, with a win over Lehigh today, the entire Patriot League will hail "The Return of the King" and the Leopards will advance to the NCAA playoffs.

"No one would have thought three weeks ago we'd be in this position," tri-captain Justin Stovall said. "We could have crumbled -- and a lot of people wanted us to do that. We've been through the fire together. We kept taking one step at a time in the right direction and it's brought us to this. It was not the journey we expected, but even if we were 10-0 right now, we'd be in the exact same position. We'd still have to beat Lehigh to go on to the playoffs.

"I don't think I'd have it any other way."

"The dynamics of the game have heightened the last couple of years because of the playoff implications involved," quarterback Brad Maurer said. "It's not just for pride or bragging rights anymore. This is a playoff game."

To become "Lords of the Rings" again, Lafayette must:

Trust the mantra.

"Big players make big plays to win the big games."

These games define careers and top offensive playmakers Jonathan Hurt, Brad Maurer and Joe Ort have earned the right to determine this outcome. Defensively, Marvin Snipes and Torian Johnson can ease the pain of disappointing, injury-filled seasons by making a stand.

Become time bandits.

A ball control attack will take pressure off a suspect defense that was scorched by Holy Cross and Yale and will be pressed to contain Lehigh's many weapons.

Keep cool.

"You have to weather the early emotional storm," Maurer said. "There is such a high coming into this game. It's really going to be crazy; we have to play with poise."

Enlist Mr. Mo Mentum.

How? Protect the ball on offense, force turnovers on defense, something the Leopards have had trouble doing against the quality teams.

"It's hard to reverse momentum once it gets rolling in a certain direction," Maurer said. "It tends to snowball in big games like this. If it does get away from us, we have to make sure we don't panic."

Lafayette rallied from a nine-point deficit last year for its first win at Goodman Stadium since 1989.

Trick or treat.

Lafayette has a warehouse of plays designed specifically for Lehigh (like last year's triple pass). Picking the right one for the right time could turn the game around. Look for Shaun Adair's big-play capabilities.

Inspiration from Archie.

Archie Fisher is the poster boy for the hallmark determination of this team. His injury-filled career was capped by a broken collarbone this year. He finally returned to throw key blocks that led to three TDs last week. He hasn't caught a pass all year, but has scored a TD in two previous Lehigh games.

"Archie has something that looks like a deformity sticking out of his shoulder," Tavani said. "He's been really hurting, but he keeps playing. The other players see that and it makes them more determined."

It would be poetic justice to have Fisher catch the winning TD at Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium.

Tunnel vision.

Tavani insists it's "impossible" to block out distractions that swirl around this game. Players vowed to keep focus during practice for an edge in preparation.

Master motivator.

Tavani has used dog tags, Lance Armstrong-like bracelets with the team's mission statement and speeches from a blind mountain climber to unleash the team's emotions at the right time for this game.

Finally, most of all

Simply have fun.

Teams that are loose generally have the most success. Playing with passion never goes out of fashion.